Playing card holder



March 10, 1953 W. A. BERTRAM PLAYING CARD HOLDER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed May 1, 1948 INVENTOR. 1114 84 4. 66%

BY Jw, 4 p

March 10, 1953 w. A. BERTRAM PLAYING CARD HOLDER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed May 1, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Mar. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlce 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a holder for playing cards, and more particularly to a collapsible type holder for use in playing the well-known card game commonly called gin rummy and other draw card games. In the playing of such a game. it is customary to have two piles of cards arranged in close proximity to one another: one the draw pile, the other the discard pile. The, latter pile is nearly arranged in a stack facing up with only the face of the top card exposed. It 'is essential that during the course of the game, only the face of the top card of the discard pile be exposed at any one time.

Various types of card holders for use in such a game have heretofore been proposed, which are either too costly to manufacture to have widespread acceptance by the public, or are of such a design as to be too bulky and therefore unsuitable for carrying in a handbag, billfold, and the like.

Thus it is one of the objects of this invention to provide a card holder which may be readily collapsed, when not in use, into a small, substantially fiat, compact, lightweight unit.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a card holder which is simple yet sturdy :in construction, effective in operation, and inexpensive't'o produce.

Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a card holder formed from a single sheet of relatively stiff, bendable material-+preferably cardboardis provided for accommodating two piles of playing cards. prises an intermediate base section having a pair of collapsible side flaps and a pair of end sections, each of said end sections having an inner portion adjacent said base section, a middle portion, an outer portion, and a pair .of parallel, elongated slots extending into both said middle .and outer portions. The spacing between the slots is substantially the same as the width of the intermediate base section, which in turn is substantially the same dimension as the length of a standard playing card. When the holder is folded into its operative condition, the side flaps of the base section assume a vertical position; the end sections are folded toward each other so that the outer portions thereof are brought into a back-to-back relationship, and the elongated slots of said end sections snugly receive said side flaps thereby frictionally holding the various parts in operative relation. The middle portions upon which the stacks of cards are placed when the holder is in its operative position, are downwardly inclined toward each other. The outer portionsof the end sections form a partition between the piles of cards when they are placed on the holder.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be had to the drawings, wherein:

The holder com- Fig. '1 is a .top plan view of the holder with its end sections and side flaps in a spread-out arrangement;

Fig.2 is a side elevational view of the holder in its operative position with the two piles of playingcards, placed thereon, shown in dotted lines;

Fig. "3 is a top plan view of the holder shown in Fig. 2 with the two piles of playing cards shown in dotted'lines;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the holder in its collapsed condition;

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of the holder in its collapsed condition; and

Fig. dis a perspective view of a modified holder in its operative position with two piles of playing cards placed thereon shown in dotted lines.

Referring now to the drawings, a collapsible card holder 10 is provided for use in playing the well known card game commonly called gin rummy, or any other like game. The holder ii! in this instance is formed from a single sheet 12 of relatively stifi bendable material, preferably cardboard, which is scored at a plurality of places to enable the holder to be readily folded to its playing position when desired.

During the course of the game, two piles of cards are used which are generally arranged in close proximity to one another; one being the draw pile l4 and the other the discard pile H5. The former'pile I4 is placed face down and the top card drawn .by the players in turn. The latter pile I6 "is placed face up and each successive discarded card is placed on this pile face up so only the face of the top card is exposed at any one time.

The holder 1 0, as shown in Fig. '1, comprises an intermediate base section it having a pair of side flaps 20' and 22 adapted to assume a vertical position, and a pair of end sections 24 and 28 adapted to be folded towards each other when arranging the holder for play. Each of the end sections 24 and 26, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises an inner portion 28 adjacent to the base section it, a middle portion 30, an outer portion 32, and a pair of parallel elongated slots 34 and 35, which extend into both said middle portion 38 and outer portion '32. The width of slots 34 and 35 is sub stantially the same as the thickness of sheet 92. The spacing between the parallel slots 34!. and 35 issubstantially the width of intermediate base section I 8, which in turn is substantially the same as the longitudinal dimension 3'! of a standard playing card, as shown in Fig. 3. Each of the side flaps 20 and 22 has a semi-circular, centrally positioned protruding portion 38 and ledgeforming portions '39 and 40 disposed at either side of said protruding portion; the latter portions 39 and 40 being inclined downwardly toward each other. Each protruding portion 38 is provided with an open-end slot 42 whose width .43 is substantially twice the "thickness of sheet i2. As seen in Fig; 1, slot 42 divides the protruding portion as into halves 44 and 45. The length of slot 42 is substantially the same as the space 45 between outer end 48 of slots 34 and 35 and the outer edge 50 of the outer portion 32. The section 52 of each of the slots 34 and 35 projects into the outer portion 32 a distance slightly less than the space 54 between the bottom 56 of openend slot 42 and the intermediate base section [8. The section 58 of each of the slots 34 and 35 projects into the middle portion 30 of the end sections 24 and 26 a distance substantially the same as the radius of the semicircular protruding portion 38.

When arranging the holder Id for play, the side flaps 20 and 22 are brought into a, substantially vertical position and the end sections 24 and 28 folded toward each other so that the outer portions 32 are brought into a back-to-back relation;- ship. The outer portions 32, while in such a relationship, are brought into snug engagement with the side flaps 2d and 22; slots 34 and 35 frictionally embracing the protruding portions 38 and the open-end slots 42 frictionally embracing outer portions 32. When the outer portions 32 are fully seated in slots :22, the middle portions 30 of the end sections rest on the ledge-forming portions 39 and 40 of the side flaps and are downwardly inclined toward each other, and the inner portion 28 of the end sections 24 and 26 contact the ends 6! and 52 of the side flaps and are held in a substantially vertical position.

When the holder is not in use, it may readily be collapsed as shown in Figs. 4 and into a small compact unit. The side flaps and 22 are folded inwardly so as to rest flat on the base section l8 and then the end sections 24 and 2% are placed over the flaps; one on top of the other.

A modified holder 63 is shown in Fig. 6 whose base section 6 3 has only one side flap 66 which is adapted to assume a substantially vertical position. The side flap 66 is of the same shape as side flaps 20 and 22 heretofore described. The width and the length of the base section 84 are slightly less than the base section 18 above described, so that when the holder 53 accommodates the two piles of cards 68 and 10, two sides 12 and 14 of the piles overhang, as seen in Fig. 6. This arrangement enables a single card to be removed more readily from the draw pile 68 by the fingers of the player contacting the sides 72 and T4 of the card. With one end of the holder 63 free from the obstruction or" the protruding portion of a side flap, a card may be slidingly removed from pile 68 or placed on pile 70 more readily.

The downward inclination of the middle portions toward each other, when either holder 10 or 63 is in its operative position, causes the piles of the cards placed thereon to remain in a neatly stacked position at all times.

Thus it will be seen that a card holder has been provided which is readily collapsible, when desired, into a small compact unit and of such light weight that it may be carried in a handbag, billfold, and the like.

Also, a card holder has been provided which is simple, yet sturdy in construction, eifective in operation, and very inexpensive to produce, thus making it more acceptable to the public.

While the particular embodiment of this invention is shown above, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be limited thereby and many modifications may be made, and it is contemplated, therefore, by the appended claims to cover any such modification as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.-

Iclaim:

1. A device of the class described formed from a sheet of relatively stiff, foldable material, comprising a horizontal base section, a pair of collapsible side flaps mounted on said base section and adapted, when in operative position, to assume a substantially vertical position, each of said flaps having a protruding central portion formed on the upper edge thereof, and a pair of collapsible end sections mounted on opposite ends of said base section, and adapted, when in operative position, to be folded towards each other, each of said end sections having an inner portion foldably connected to said base section and adapted to assume a substantially vertical position with respect to said base section, a middle portion foldably connected to said inner portion and adapted to engage said side flaps, when in operative position, and assume a downwardly inclined position with respect to said base section, and an outer portion foldably connected to said middle portion and adapted to assume a substantially vertical osition, said middle and outer portions being provided with a pair of common elongated slots through which said protruding central portions extend when said side flaps and said end sections are in operative positions.

2. A device of the class described formed from a sheet of relatively stiff, foldable material, comprising a horizontal base section, a pair of collapsible side flaps mounted on opposite sides of said base section for movement to a substantially vertical position, the upper edge of each of said flaps being provided with a protruding central portion and ledge portions disposed at either side of said central portion, said ledge portions being inclined downwardly towards said central portion, and a pair of collapsible end sections mounted on opposite ends of said base section for being folded towards each other, each of said end sections being of a width greater than the spacing between said flaps and having an inner portion foldably mounted on said base section, a middle portion foldably mounted on said inner portion, and an outer portion foldably mounted on said middle portion; said middle and outer portions being provided with a pair of parallel elongated slots common to both portions; said REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 516,907 Barker Mar. 20, 1894 1,320,798 Salambo Nov. 4, 1919 2,074,638 Black Mar. 23, 1937 2,201,187 Levin May 21, 1940 2,330,345 Elliott Sept 28, 1943 

